After Vic slapped him, Vicolai glared viciously at him, then at Kallen, still muttering curses.
Kallen had never liked assuming the people around him were deliberately stupid. It was disrespectful not only to others, but also to his own safety.
But with this grandfather and grandson, Bishop Dorf and Arbiter Vicolai, Kallen felt he could make an exception.
Their stupidity was like rice packed down again and again in a bowl, until it could not possibly be packed any tighter.
Kallen told Vic, "Don't abuse the person under investigation. The first thing we'll do upon entering headquarters is compile an assessment of his physical condition and release it publicly. After that, no additional obvious injuries will be allowed."
Vic understood immediately. No additional injuries before entering headquarters meant this was his last chance to slap him!
He was badly injured already, anyway. Adding a little more would be like putting a few pieces of fruit on a cake-perfectly normal and hardly noticeable.
Smack! Smack! Smack!
"Keep glaring, will you? Go on, glare! Keep glaring!
"Honestly, you're the first person I've ever met who was stupid enough to make me want to slap him.
"You're an Arbiter?
"And your rank is higher than mine?"
Vic swung his arm all the way back for every slap. After several in succession, Vicolai finally closed his eyes and began sniffling, blood streaming out with his mucus.
"Ugh, disgusting."
Vic took some tissues from up front, rolled them into two oversized cylinders, and stuffed them straight into Vicolai's nostrils, considerately stopping his bleeding.
Kallen asked Richard, "Just how strong is he?"
Richard thought for a moment, seemingly organizing his words, then answered:
"Of all the opponents I've faced since joining the Hound Dogs Squad, he's the first who made me feel we were evenly matched."